Tasty Thursday: Butternut Squash Soup

Nov.10,2011

Says Pete: I couldn’t believe how cold it was. My apartment had no heat. I was so tired of arguing with my cheap landlord to turn it on, so I decided it was up to me to heat myself from the inside.That was it. I went to the store and wandered the aisles, wondering what sort of creamy concoction I could create [[do you see the alliteration?]] to complete the task of self-heater.As I walked through the produce aisle [[that’s always my first stop because I’m a health idiot]], something caught my eye. An ingredient that I had never used before that piqued my interest — butternut squash! And they were on sale!I then roamed the other aisles, trying to create a butternut squash recipe in my head. Here’s what I got.What you’ll need:

2 butternut squash [[even though only one is pictured]]

2 cans chicken broth

1 medium onion

4 cloves garlic

4 slices of bacon

1 potato [[even though two are pictured]]

3 carrots

1 jalapeno

3 stalks of celery [[even though NONE are pictured]]

Pinch of cinnamon

Pepper

1 tbs. brown sugar

Olive oil

Heavy cream [[1/8 of a cup]]

Green onion, sour cream to garnish

What you’ll do:

Preheat oven to 350.

Dice the bacon. Saute in stock pot until crispy. Strain and put aside.

Peel, split, and seed both butternut squash. Dice them. Toss them with 1 tbs. brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper, and enough olive oil to coat. Lay it out on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Roast in oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

While that’s roasting, chop carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and potato. Saute everything but the potato, with literally a pinch of cinnamon [[cinnamon is VERY strong]] about five to eight minutes in the pot where you cooked the bacon.

When the squash is done [[and you’ll know because it’ll be slightly brown and mushy]], you’re gonna blend it in batches [[in the blender]] with a roughly-chopped jalapeno. Add chicken broth when it gets too thick [[you’ll wind up using about two cans depending on the size of the squash]].

Add the puree and half the bacon into the pot with the potato and heavy cream. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer. Keep covered. Soup is done when the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Garnish with green onion, sour cream, and the rest of the bacon. Serve. Enjoy.

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